Iran: New UN plea over nuclear arms

UNITED Nations nuclear inspectors headed to Tehran yesterday to press Iranian officials to address suspicions that the Islamic state is seeking atomic weapons.

The UN International Atomic Energy Agency hopes Iran, under the control of President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, which has indicated readiness to discuss the issue for the first time since 2008, will end years of stonewalling on intelligence pointing to an intention to develop nuclear arms.

“We are trying... to resolve all the outstanding issues with Iran, in particular we hope that Iran will engage with us on our concerns regarding the possible military dimensions of Iran’s nuclear programme,” IAEA deputy director-general Herman Nackaerts said. But Western diplomats, who have often accused Iran of using such offers as a stalling tactic while it presses ahead with its nuclear programme, say they doubt Tehran will show the co-operation the IAEA wants.